[Cinderhills]

It's been ages since I've been on here so I hope someone can help.

I have 5 new chickens, about 18 weeks old, and they refuse to sleep in the coop where 3 older chickens live.  The first day they arrived we kept them in a dog cage, then when the oldies went to bed we popped all 5 newbies in the coop.  We let them out in the morning and since then they roost in a tree.  It's quite a prickly tree and they are high up so I don't think the fox would get them, and I'm up at first light to keep an eye on things.

Can anyone advise how I can get them to roost indoors please?  With hindsight I should have kept them in all day after their first night.  They are impossible to catch in the day and even at night as they roost so high up.  I've had them a couple of weeks now. 

[goosepimple]

Let them roost in the tree.  They are far safer and will go to roost earlier.  We inherited loads of tree hugging hens when we moved here and they were great - we always found their eggs as they like to announce when they'd popped one.  They were out summer and winter and came to no harm whatsoever and roosted really high up.  They teach their chicks to do the same and they sit under the mum's wings on the same branch.  You can always get them in another tree by creating a ladder with little branch rungs quite close together and they will go up.  If you do want them in their coop though you may have to use bribes of treats - they will be put off by the older residents of course and feel intimidated - you may find that once they begin to get to know the others (which may take a good month) that they will feel more comfortable roosting in the house and it may be easier to bribe them in.  I wouldn't force them at all though, chickens can be viscious at times and your older birds may not like it.  Go easy.

[Cinderhills]

Thanks for the advice.  I may try to tempt them in a couple of weeks then when they get tamer and used to the others.

[Dizzycow]

All my cream legbars refuse to go into the hen house (except to lay!) and roost in the rafters of a shed. I was telling our gamekeeper about it, feeling smug that if we only keep cream legbars we wouldn't have to worry about putting them to bed and letting them out in the morning, and the foxes can't get them. He squashed that idea, telling me that foxes can worry the chickens to the extent that they'll try to get away from him (even though they're safe high up) and will come down from the rafters. He's seen it before. I think a tree sounds good. I"d worry about them if it's wet and very cold, though.

[goosepimple]

I wouldn't worry about the wet and cold if they're hardy types (not the little brown battery types).  Lots of the tree hens lived until 7 years old and never set foot inside a coop.  We would de-frost them on cold mornings with porridge or cous-cous with warm milk as they were often frosty or carrying snow on their backs.  We did force a few of them in houses a couple of times but they always went back up the tree....lots we gave away to friends and some we still have, they just sway around in the trees quite happy.

[suziequeue]

Thanks for posting this Cinderhills.

We are in EXACTLY the same situation!!

I have forwarded this thread to my husband to read.

Thanks 

[Cinderhills]

Nice to know we are not alone.  Thanks for comments. There are 3 Black Rocks and 2 Speckedly hybrids so hopefully hardy enough.

When we get our ex-battery hens, and are hoping to get some more in the next rescue, they get their own special little retirement coop all to themselves coz I would hate for them to roost outside.

[suziequeue]

I have forwarded this thread to my husband to read.

Your husband has read, thank you dear wife... 

[bigchicken]

Hi I have some Scot Grey bantys that love the trees for roosting in, but when the weather gets rough they will go in to the chicken hut. If you are bothered by this then feed them in the night quarters to get them used to the place.

[plumseverywhere]

Our little Goldline, 'Fox-food', used to roost in the willow tree when we first brought her home. daft thing she is. She's used to perching in the house now but I was lucky in that I could always reach her and take her off the branch each night and pop her in the coop. I think they eventually get used to routine don't they so keep at it with them 

[Cinderhills]

Thanks Plums, will do.